Bird'La Notte' (album stream)

"If Alfred Hitchcock had made a western soul and hip-hop thriller." That rather intriguing description is how a press release illustrates the sound of Bird's debut album, La Notte. It's out on July 9 through Lost Metropolis Records, and the entire album is available to stream now on Exclaim.ca.

The Toronto-based Bird recruited some guests for the 12-track collection, including Odonis Odonis, Notes to Self, D-Sisive, Abdominal and Little Brother. The aforementioned press release notes that the album has been "years in the making," which perhaps explains how Little Brother — who disbanded a few years ago — appear here.

The collection blends various sounds and influences, from the cinematically rainy intro to the horn-filled hip-hop cut "Still Shine," to the waltzing soul number "Crazy," to orchestral forays like title track and "Maybe Someday." Check it out below.